When a child loses someone who is significant to them it can be one of the hardest and most testing times of their lives. Not just in the here and now but throughout adulthood. Bereavement can affect children and young people in different ways, and whilst grieving is a totally natural part of recovering from bereavement, this grieving process can be an individual journey. Indeed there are no standard timelines or rules about how a person should feel. Further to the difficulties faced by young people is that it is unlikely that friends would have gone through anything similar, may have difficulty empathising or understanding, and may not know what to say.
Jane Fitz, Outgoing Chair of CRUSE Cardiff and the Vale – ‘Research into bereavement services for young people in Wales, 2008-2010
Suzie Phillips, Winston’s Wish – ‘It’s too difficult for words: Using practical interventions to support bereaved children’
